Once Before
by Hlbur14
Summary: What if Reapunzel had left the tower before and met Flynn beck then? Things, as you can imagine, didnt go well. See why Gothel is extra cautious when it comes to Repunzel wanting to leave the tower. Human interactions were never good. rubbish summary. soz
1. First Meeting

The eight year old blonde waited for her mother's return. She played with her abnormally long hair, tangling her delicate fingers within it. She could feel its power on her skin, soft with a faint buzzing with the magical energy it carried. She smiled faintly, only it was a sad smile. Why did she have to have a power? It was what put her in danger. She thought of the horrors she would have to face out there, if she left alone. Mother knows best.

Rapunzel had been planning on asking her mother to go apple picking with her, just to get a little bit of a feel. She wouldn't be alone, so what danger would she face? She would be perfectly safe with her mother. She sighed, waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Until finally, she heard her humming down on the ground. I squeaked with joy, dashing over to the window and leaning out, her eyes latching onto her black haired mother, her smile implanted on her perfect, _too_ perfect, face. She looked up at the little girl and waved.

"Mother! Can you wait a minute? I want to ask something of you!" the child called, voice high and sweet, almost on the verge of singing. Her mother looked confused, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow. Rapunzel could only just make out her feature from her tower.

"What is it, darling?" she called up to the girl.

"Um, can I come apple picking with you?" her mother began to protest. "Wait! I wont wonder off, I'll stay with you, I promise! You know I don't break promises!"

"I don't know, flower…" she said loud enough for her daughter to here, brushing a hand nervously in her hair.

"Please mother! I'll be careful, I promise!" Rapunzel promised again, trying her hardest to convince her protect mother. Then, to her utmost joy, her mother sighed in defeat before looking back up to the innocent child.

"Alright. But no wandering off!" she warned. Rapunzel cried out with joys, sprinting away from the tower and grabbing the picnic basket, careful not to trip over her long hair, which slid along the ground a few feet behind her elegant frame. She then got onto the windowsill, mimicking her mother's past routines, and grabbed the rope she used to get down. She tied a secure knot after flinging the rope to the ground, and then she clung to it, basket dangling on her arm, and slowly climbing down. Her small, lively heart pounded in her chest, the excitement racing through her blood, warming her inside and out. She was getting out. She was about to go into the woods with her mother for the first time. She was about to feel grass beneath her tiny feet, about to feel the breeze in her face, the cool air soon to kiss her cheeks in welcome. She had finally earned her mother's trust!

The grass was soft and damp beneath her feet, curling between her toes as if hugged her after a long awaited arrival. It felt so good on her skin. The air danced around her, singing in her ears. It was how she always imagined it. She grinned widely at her waiting mother, taking a deep breath before skipping towards her, linking her arm with hers. She was kissed on her head before led into the woods that had watched over her all her life, holding the things that would hurt her in the dark, and keeping herself in the light. Now she could appreciate it, the nature that protected her.

"Thank you, mother." she murmured, her large, curious eyes looking above, watching birds fly and the tree branches sway. It was like a dream, only not as good as the dream she had had all her life. To see the lights. No matter. This was the first step to getting there.

"I trust you, my flower." was her reply. Rapunzel walked with her mother for a few minutes until they reached a grand tree, filled with luscious red apples, shining in the sunlight and just begging to be picked. There were many low branched that Rapunzel could pick from, and many more on the ground, making the green forest floor to change to red. It delighted her to see such a radiant colour.

"Go and start picking. I shan't be long. I am just going to make sure everything is safe." her mother suddenly spoke.

"What? You're leaving?" gasped Rapunzel, her already large eyes growing bigger. She was going to be left alone? Here? But, but…

"Just stay here and pick some apples. Do not leave this area. Do you understand me?" her mother's voice became harsh, a waning. She froze, the harshness frightening her, and nodded stiffly. Another kiss was planted on her cheek before her mother disappeared into the trees, left alone by the tree.

"Hmm." she hummed, looking around, thinking on where to start. The floor of the branches. She decided the floor as they were easier to get at. I piled one by one into the basket, humming softly, holding each apple up to check for anything bad. She may have been eight, but she had learned a lot from her mother and even taught herself some things, such as cooking. She knew what was right and what was wrong. Each apple shimmered in the light, the shine smiling at her. As she picked, to took a bite out of one, fresh and juicy in her mouth. Devine!

She then walked around the massive tree, seeking more apples on the other side, only to get the shock of her life. The basket dropped from her hands, a few apples bouncing out of it and rolling away. There, stood a boy. He held an apple to his mouth, mid bite, frozen at the sight of the girl before him. He looked a little older than her, maybe twelve years old. His hair was brunette, made tidy upon his head and out of his eyes, his eyes the same shade. His eyes locked with hers, not shifting as the basket fell. Both children, each with an apple in hand, stared each other down, testing each other. He lost, however, as he began to catch sight of her long, golden hair trailing behind her. He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She gulped, her heart beginning to race in her chest, the thuds loud in her ears. Her mother had always told her that most people were bad and wanted to take her hair, to keep its power for themselves. That was why she was panicking, because this boy seemed very interested in her hair. It may have been the first time she had seen another person, but she was extremely afraid.

The boy finished his bite, chewing casually, and swallowed with a loud gulp. He then let his wrist loose beneath his chin, smiling mischievously. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. Her body refused to move.

"That's quite a lot of hair." he said, voice not high but also not low. It was a teasing tone. "Did it never occur to you to cut it?" her stomach did a nervous flip. She took a step away from him, apple falling from her hand and then she slowly reached for the basket. Her eyes never left his face. "Scared?" he mocked, about to take a step towards her. She glared at him fiercely. He laughed. "Not much of a talker, has ridiculously long hair and is scared. Hmm, that's pretty sad."

"I do talk." Rapunzel growled bravely, grasping the handles of the basket and lifting it up.

"And the Blondie speaks!" he laughed, taking another bite of his apple and advancing on her again, attempting to frighten her further. Such a cold boy. She officially disliked him.

"Go away." she spat, turning her back and ready to leave for her mother, or just go back home. She never saw the boy jump for her, grabbing her arm, and attempt to the grab the basket of apples for his taking. On instinct, she screamed, gripping her basket tightly. She may have been small and young, but she began to put up a fight. She wrapped her leg around his own behind her and pulled, knocking him off of his feet. She squeaked in shock at her advance before leaping away from him, staring at his groaning on the floor. She grinned.

"Ha!" she cried.

"Flower!" screamed her mother behind her, who had returned just moment after her attack. Rapunzel sun around, back facing the boy, eyes wide with shock.

"Mother!" she gasped. The boy saw the woman and scrambled to his feet, confidence soon replaced with fear, as he sprinted away from the apple tree. He was gone within seconds, as if he had never confronted Rapunzel.

"Come on! You're going home! You shall never leave there again!" her mother yelled, voice filled with anger, sending Rapunzel into tears. She had tried to explain what had happened, that she tried to get away from the boy, that he had tried to steal her basket. But she wouldn't listen. She never listened.

As the years went by, both children forgot about each other, due to the many other things that happened in their lives. The boy had focused more on his life of crime, so the face of Rapunzel and her long hair vanished from his mind as if it never happened. Rapunzel forced it out of her head to forget about the yelling that followed, forget the promise the she would never leave again. So she flooded her mind with thousands of other things, like cooking, reading, drawing, singing… and the instant soon dissolved away, but there was much more to it. Even her mother seemed to have forgotten, but not completely. Rapunzel never remembered leaving the tower.

If only the two children knew that they would meet again, unrecognizable to each other, and begin the journey of a lifetime. Yes. They had met before, and yet neither remembered. They never did remember.


	2. Last Meeting

Rapunzel cried in her room that same night, her mother's voice bellowing in her head again and again and again.

"You will never leave this tower again! EVER!" Gothel had screeched, eyes blinded by her fury, her shadow dark and looming over Rapunzel.

"But I didn't do anything!" Rapunzel had sobbed, her eyes wide with fright. She had trembled all over, her tiny legs threatening to buckle under her shaking form. Why wouldn't Gothel believe her?

"I can't even trust you to behave for a few minutes alone! Instead you disobey my trust and start mixing with… with some troublesome boy!" Gothel was red in the face by then, and Rapunzel had finally broke down in tears. That earned her a look of disgust. "Crying is for babies. You need to learn to grow up." Gothel had snarled before turning sharply, the cape coiling around the blackhead's body, giving a gust of air in Rapunzel's face. With that, the child had ran to her room and collapsed onto her bed, crying for hours

Rapunzel soon developed a strong headache. After a while her tears stopped falling, and she was all cried out, and stayed silent in the darkness. She lay on her bed, alone and scared. The shadows around her seemed more threatening than usual. They seemed to reach for her, laughing at her, taunting her. To make matters worse, it started raining, soon followed by thunder and lightening, matching her mood. Each flash of lightning sent a tiny squeak escaping her lips, and the loud thunder seemed to make her room shake. The only comfort she had was her pillow, clutched to her chest, face buried within the softness. Whenever she took a peek around her room, the shadows looked like they were growing, reaching for her, ready to devour her. Normally on nights like these Gothel would sleep in her room, holding the eight year old close to her chest on the bed, whispering that she would let nothing harm her. But she never showed. She never even came to check on poor Rapunzel. Not even a peek. So the shadows loomed around Rapunzel, never backing away, taking advantage of the girl before them, alone and vulnerable. Rapunzel tried to reason with herself that it was just her mind playing tricks, but the shadows were always there, big and hungry. She soon fell asleep, the fear making her lack in energy. But her dreams weren't about monsters and goblins like she thought they might be, but about an apple tree, sunlight and… a brunette boy.

Rapunzel awoke to a bright light, the sun beaming through her window and protectively circling her, warming her. She lay sprawled out on her bed, tangled in her sheets and hair. She was the wrong way round, her body in the center of the mattress, her head not of a pillow as that was still tucked close to her chest. She opened her emerald eyes, looking though her gold hair, soft and light on her cheek. The birds outside sang, beckoning her to awake. She moaned quietly, brushing her hair out of her face with her hand and squinting into the bright sunlight. She sat up and blinked repeatedly, trying to collect herself from her sleep, and then looked around. The shadows were gone, at least, but that didn't change the events of yesterday. She quickly shook the thought off, slipping on off the bed and stretching her arms above her head, pulling the muscles in her legs until they hurt. With that she rubbed her eyes and tidied up her bed, acting like it was a normal morning.

She expected her mother to walk in with breakfast with a bright smile on her face, beaming like normal on a sunny morning. But, like last night, she never showed up. There was no smell of pancakes or waffles, hot chocolate or tea. No shuffling in the kitchen. No light singing. It was just completely silent and it was chilling. She slowly, carefully, walked out of her room and down the twirling staircase, peeking into Gothel's room before doing so. She wasn't there and the bed was tidy, untouched. Her heart began to pick up its pace in her chest as she scanned the main room. Nothing. The kitchen, no one. Bathroom, empty. She was alone. She shivered, a sudden feel of abandonment looming over her. Had she really done such a terrible thing? She truly didn't think so, but apparently, her mother thought otherwise. But as she went back into the kitchen, she found a note on the counter.

Will be back in five days.

Mother.

That was all it said. No 'I love you', no 'going to miss you'. Her heart hit an all time low. Five days. Five days to fend for herself. What a life for an eight year old. How her mother couldn't see that she was lonely, she would never know.

Rapunzel, holding the note lightly between her delicate finger, let it fall back on the counter, sighing deeply in her loneliness. Five days of not using her voice to talk. She thought that she may go mad. It wasn't healthy.

She spent the morning brushing her hair, making breakfast (pancakes, her favorite), reading, cleaning and drawing on the walls. It wasn't long before she was bored, and it had only been an hour. She began to pace around the tower, deep in thought, arguing with herself. She couldn't keep living like this, she just couldn't. She needed friends, people to talk to. She needed a little bit of freedom, no, a lot of freedom. She needed to have fun in her life! She had to get out. She had to leave. If her mother was this neglecting over something she didn't do, and left her for a number of days without a goodbye, then what was the point in staying? She was tired of being the good little girl she was told to be. She was tired of being locked away. She could take care of herself. She did yesterday, against that boy, didn't she? She knocked him off of his feet, and he was much taller and stronger than her! She would show her mother. She would leave, stand up for herself. Enough was enough.

Before she could back out, she ran to the window and tied the rope securely above her head, yanking hard to make sure it was tight. She then flung the long rope out of the window, jumping on and clinging on for dear life. Then, gradually, she climbed down, getting closer and closer to freedom. She was bare foot again, but she didn't care. She dropped from the rope and onto the grass, her feet freezing because of the wet grass. But, again, she didn't care. Her small, sleek figure ran into the surrounding forest, the key to her freedom.

Faster, faster she ran. She ran so fast that her abnormally long hair blew up behind her, and flash of gold chasing her through the trees. She ran, ran, ran. She laughed, sang, danced… ran. She twirled, her skirt lifting around her legs, dancing with her. Freedom! No responsibility, no fear of stepping out of line. Just her! Yes! But then she stopped, looking up at a great apple tree, and her thoughts began to drift, drift back to her dream the previous night, back to him.

In her dream, she had been running and laughing in a make believe world. Everything was perfect, bright and colorful, much like the forest she was in now. But she wasn't alone. She was being chased by the boy, playing with him. He ran after her, attempting to catch her, laughing all the while. They were just two innocent children playing, enjoying each other's company. They drank on each other's joy. Drank each other in. There was no loneliness here, just innocent fun. Their laughter echoed, mingling with each other in the air, bouncing off of tree trucks and traveling for miles. But nobody heard them, because it was just them, and that was enough. The boy reached for her hair, just to feel it in his fingers. She didn't stop him. By that time they were in a meadow, staring at each other, grinning after their game. Her large eyes soaked him in, as his did the same to her. The sun shone on the eight and twelve year olds, shielding them with warmth. The brunette boy smiled, but it was mischievous, but soft and full of kindness. And then, before Rapunzel had woken, she saw two silhouettes behind herself and the boy, as if their shadows, only the were both a man and woman, in the same position, holding hands. And that was when the real world dragged her back to her reality.

The eight year old was convinced that that dream meant something, but she had no idea what. She didn't even know why she would dream about that boy. She hated him! She preyed that she would never see him again. Oh, how wrong she was about not seeing him again, in more ways than one.

She sat against the tree she had been at the previous afternoon, gazing off into the trees, thinking of what she should do next. What could she do? She could stay in the woods. Her mother would find her, drag her back. But she knew of no where else. She could travel to where the lights showed, her lights, but she didn't know where they rose. She sighed, defeated. Maybe she should just go back, suffer in her loneliness tan die out in the real world. She would suffer, but she would live. Just then, as she was getting to her feet, she heard a laugh, mocking, too familiar. To her right was that boy! He stood there, oh-so-proudly, hands on hips, grin set in place. He was not the boy in her dream though. The boy in her dream was him, but he wasn't cocky and mean like this one.

"Where's mummy?" he asked, fighting his chuckles, eying her reaction. His eyes were all fox, and red hot anger rose within her. "Aww, has mummy left you?" he cooed, pouting at her in mock sadness. She wasn't in the mood to be laughed at, so she moved away from him, intending to take a run somewhere else. "Not so tough now, are you?" he called. She spun, fire in her eyes.

"I made you fall over!" she snapped, glaring up at him.

"Acting, Blondie, acting." he told her, head held high. She laughed harshly.

"Acting? You didn't know what hit you! And then you ran off like a scared mouse!" she scoffed, her hands on her own hips, happy with her argument. The boy, shocked by the child's boldness, looked taken aback for a moment.

"At least I didn't cry." he muttered, lowering his head again. She couldn't stop herself with what she said next.

"Well, thanks to you, my mother doesn't seem to want me." she snapped, storming of in a huff, instantly regretting her words.

And then that hot anger returned. "Drama queen." she heard him mutter. She then, quick as a pouncing cat, grabbed an apple at her feet and spun, flinging it at the boy. The red fruit hit him square in the head, making him stumble to the floor in shock. She was feisty, she realized, for an eight year old. She had never really known how sensitive she was. She had no reason to find out, but this boy was getting under her skin. She stared at him, eyes angry, breathing rigid. She hated him! Hated, hated, hated him! How she could ever dream of him ashamed her!

But the boy sat up and grinned at her, and this grin was actually genuine. She raised an eyebrow at him, keeping a few feet away from him, watching carefully.

"Have to say, good aim. I'm impressed." he said, getting to his feet, swaying slightly as he did so. She made no attempt to help him. Instead she lunged for another apple on the floor, clutching it tightly. He held his hand up. "Take it easy! I didn't say anything!" he insisted, now on his feet.

"Say sorry." she spat, eyes locked with his.

"No. Can. Do," he said slowly, teasingly. "I don't do sorrys." he laughed. This apple hit him in the chest, hard, knocking the wind out of him. He gave a puff of air.

"Say. It." she spoke slowly on purpose, mimicking him. He raising an eyebrow. She was fast, as another apple was aimed at the ready.

"I never thought that apples would be a threat to me." he said with a shrug. She was about to throw it again, so he quickly backtracked. "Okay, okay… Sor… ry." he split the word, refusing to say it fully.

"Wrong answer!" the red apple flew at him, this time in the stomach, and then he bellowed out the word. If the girl lost her aim, which she was doing, then he may get seriously hurt in the next few moments.

"Sorry!" he cried. She smiled triumphantly. Apples! Who knew? And then, far too casually, she picked up and apple and bit into it, strolling around the back of the tree as she chewed. Dangerous and tasty. Ha! She heard the boy moan from the slight pain he would have been suffering, and she felt slightly satisfied. She then sat down and let her young mind drift, watching two butterflies fly above her head, blue and beautiful. She smiled, momentarily forgetting the boy who watched her. A breeze kissed her cheeks, making her smile some more. The boy stared at her silently, taking in her innocence. Not that he cared. He jumped when he heard her high voice.

"Can you go now?" she asked, looking at him.

"Why?" he asked, teasing yet again.

"You're boring." she told him, and she wasn't even joking. "You're annoying. Go away, please, and leave me alone." he scoffed at her, thinking that she was kidding, but she was. She reached for another apple by her side, taking a bite out of the one she already had. With that the boy left, feeling annoyed at the girl. Yes. He disliked her too, stupid apple thrower.

Rapunzel watched him disappear into the trees, much like the day before. Good riddance, you nasty boy. She then got up and left the area herself, walking in the opposite way to him. She walked for a long time, thinking about where to go. She never saw it coming, the black out. She never felt the pounding pain in the back of her head. She never saw Gothel approach behind her. She never remembered the words that she spoke to her.

"You should have stayed home." Gothel said, a branch in her hands, standing behind Rapunzel with a dark gaze. She lifted it and… Rapunzel fell, the past two days falling out of her mind. Time had stopped from then. The boy never existed. The apples were never thrown or eaten. The dream was never dreamt. The shadows were never there. The storm never arose. She never, ever, left the tower. Gothel made sure that she never remembered. Ever. They had never fought. They had always been the happy mother and daughter, that is, until ten years later. But that a different story all together.

Fin!

Thank You and please review!


	3. Everlasting Absence

Eugene returned to the apple tree in the forest for a third time. He hoped to see the girl with long yellow hair again, and as he moved through the trees, her face clouded his mind. For a girl who had a nasty habit of throwing apples and being feisty, he found her very intriguing. Back at the orphanage the kids looked up to him, respected him because they read them stories. This girl did nothing of a sort, only challenged him and annoy him just as much as he annoyed her. That made her fascinating. He wanted to explore that attitude and test it, see what more he could learn. She hated being teased, that was all he knew. He didn't even know her name.

The sun was bright today, and with him he carried a book. The Adventures Of Flynn Rider. He loved that story, and read it frequently to the children at home. He longed to be like the character within its pages, someone everyone loved and got whatever he wanted. He vowed he would become that man, but today, he wanted to share the story with his unlikely acquaintance. He would find her at the tree, munching on an apple and then scoff in annoyance upon his arrival. He would then persuade her that he would behave, but tease her now and then. He would sit at the tree, place the book on his lap, and begin to read. Hopefully, the girl would before enticed and listen, and maybe even have a normal conversation with him. He loved a challenge, though. He could already picture the annoyance in her eyes, and then the curiosity win her over. He pictured that she would sit with her legs crossed, her head propped in her hands. It was a nice image, actually. He thought she would enjoy the story.

The tree came to his line of vision, and grinned when he jogged over. He went around the back, opened his mouth to speak, but found the spot empty. He swallowed. It was the same time as the other two times he saw her, two days in a row, why wasn't she here. There was no sign that she had been and gone, either. No apple cores, no disappearances of apples. He frowned, momentarily confused, and thought he could wait. He settled down and read in silence, flicking through the pages and picking his favourite chapters. The only sound that settled in the woods was the singing birds. The sun was hot and soon enough, Eugene felt drowsy. While reading, he fell into a slumber. He dreamt of all the riches, dreamt of freedom and joy, and somewhere in there, her face popped up behind his eyelids. Smiling, but smiling triumphantly. She had had an apple in her hand too. That was all he ever saw her with.

He woke up on his side, snuggled into the leaves. And he got frightened. Darkness consumed the landscape, the shadows of the trees reaching for him like long, crinkly fingers. He scrambled to his feet, clutching the book to his chest as a form of protection. He felt eyes on him, being watched from the gloom. He spun in circles, searching for the spy, but all that reached for him were the trees. And the girl was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't come back. If she had, he was sure that she would have thrown an apple at him to rouse him. But he slept for hours. She never came by. So, fright grasping his heart, he fled for home in a frenzy of panic. Eugene was cocky and teasing, but he was still a child, and children weren't meant to be out in the dark.

He came back day after day, hoping to see the girl again, to read her the story. He brought the book with him on every visit, hugging it to his chest and praying she would be there. He needed a new audience. But she never came back. He disappeared before the shadows could hunt for him, but with him he would drag the weight of disappointment. Was it too much to ask for, to want a new audience, greet a new face? Surely not. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that the girl's mother had something to do with her absence, but then again, he had no reason to care. She was just a new item to inspect, a listen listener to speak to.

As time went by, he himself stopped going back. However, he didn't stop coming back until he reached the age of fifteen, three years after her absence. Not every day, but when he had the time, he would carry that book and go to the apple tree. Sometimes once a week, sometimes once every three weeks, but he still made an effort. She never showed, and his hopes vanished with every visit he left behind. She wasn't coming back, but that didn't kill his curiosity. In that last year of his visits, he went merely for the memory of the interaction, the new experience. But even the memory of her presence vanished from the location of the tree. And soon, as his life changed for probably for worse, he forgot about her. He was too wrapped up on selfish deeds to remember. He wanted all the money in the world, all the women in the world, a mansion and fame. And, when he reached the age of seventeen, he changed his name to Flynn Rider, making his dream become partly true. The memory of the girl died with Eugene.

However, on the first night when he had brought the book and felt as if he was being watched, it was none other than Gothel. She'd watched him on every single visit he made, willing him silently to leave. The little pest. She had Rapunzel living a lie, and she would not have an orphan boy damage that. She would keep her locked up forever, away from people who would want to take her for themselves. The child was no exception. And she was immensely glad when he no longer showed up, and the apple tree stood tall and alone. He was gone, he had forgotten her, so therefore, she could forget about him. He would no longer being a pest to her perfect lifestyle. She had found herself loathing the boy, hating him for going near her flower.

If only she knew what she had in store for her.

* * *

**Spur**** of the moment thing... yeah :')**


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